Is Q Commerce keeping you Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish?
Q-Commerce, or the “quick commerce” revolution, promises instant gratification—but in reality, it’s often the very thing making you stay hungry and foolish.
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The Art of Quick Commerce
Quick commerce is like your personal genie, not wishes, but it grants you deliveries in minutes. It’s the art of getting what you need—groceries, snacks, undergarments, last-minute gifts, and even the new mobiles these days—planned or at the nick of time. It's the present, the future of shopping, where waiting more than 30 minutes feels like a lifetime.
In the world of quick commerce, the only thing faster than delivery is the rate at which your cravings hit. The "quick commerce" is the unsung hero that makes the impossible happen, delivering everything from groceries to gadgets in mere minutes.
How Q-Commerce Shifted from Need to Greed, from Convenience to Impatience
Q-Commerce began with a noble promise: to meet your needs quickly and efficiently. You needed something and you wanted it fast. At first, it was all about convenience. Need milk but is it raining outside? Tap-Tap and Bam, it’s at your door in 20 minutes. That’s brilliant! But somewhere along the way, Q-Commerce shifted.
The Science of OverIndulgence
What began as a solution to meet essential needs has gradually become a cycle of overindulgence. People aren’t just ordering essentials anymore—they’re ordering everything. Snacks at 3 a.m., random gadgets, last-minute party supplies, even impulse purchases. Q-Commerce made it so easy, the lines between necessity and luxury started to blur and blur more rapidly than e-commerce.
The platforms themselves have jumped on this shift, constantly pushing deals, bringing new launches, offering flash sales, or promoting “deals of the hour.” This created a culture of “If it's easy and cheap now, why wait?” What was once about getting your daily groceries delivered is now about getting whatever you want, whenever you want it, almost wherever you want it [urban codes] —sometimes with no real need, but because it’s available.
From Convenience to Impatience:
Q-Commerce’s promise of speed was its golden ticket. Get things fast, and make life easier. But here’s the catch: the more we got used to quick deliveries, the more impatient we became. It’s no longer about "I need milk," it’s about "I need it now—like, right now."
Delivery windows of 30 minutes soon felt like an eternity. We’ve all been there, tapping the app, waiting for a delivery that’s only 15 minutes late, and suddenly, we’re thinking, “What is taking them so long?!” What used to be a joy—the convenience of getting something delivered in minutes—now feels like a mild inconvenience when it’s not on time. We’ve gone from "I can wait" to "Why isn't it here yet?"
Platforms also feed into this impatience. They know we’re in a rush, so they promote even faster delivery options, for an extra cost, pushing the expectation that anything—everything—should be delivered immediately.
In a world where everything waits for no one, quick commerce gives us the luxury of being impatient.
IT Enabled to "ITs not working". Technical Limitations
Three days ago, I found myself locked out—or more accurately, logged out—of my Daily grocery "Basket" account. The next logical step was to generate an OTP through my mobile number. Simple? Could have been.
After hours of trying, I couldn’t get a single OTP, and for the next 2-3 days, I couldn’t log in. Was this “robust security” or just failed automation?
I needed to log back as I found the rates of many daily grocery items cheaper on the app and also had money in the app's wallet, as the app runs on a prepaid-only basis. You cannot even add items to your cart if there’s no balance but thankfully I had no bones to contend about, as everything worked smoothly till now. However, with no OTP, no call support, and an endless wait time to resend the OTP, I was stuck.
Then, 3 days later, I managed to log in via the “OTP via call” option, an option that was there all this while but chose to function selectively. The incoming number was shown as spam on Truecaller, yet I picked up my phone and did the needful, including scrubbing my necessary details. (Thank God my banking info wasn’t saved on any external interface)
This could’ve been a classic tale about the risks of online payments, but here’s the thing—I’m using it to talk about Q-Commerce. And how Q Commerce is such a boon despite quite some bane-like activities that need to be fixed.
And this is not just the 'it' issue. There are a few more like charging you for the additional weight of veggies, selling near-expiry or almost expired products at discounts, improperly sealed products especially skincare and more.
How is Q Commerce making you stay hungry and foolish?
The apps promise gratification at the speed of thumb tapping, but often, you’re left hungry for more than just food. The technology behind these platforms isn’t always foolproof. Orders get cancelled, payments fail, deliveries are delayed, or even worse, the food doesn't look as good as the platform price and picture.
Even worse, you end up defying the ilk of Mary Kondo and buying things you may not need, things you shouldn't consume, leaving your stomach full and wallet empty.
Many of these items are often cheaper in the marketplace than the overly advertised apps. Some of them have the Nation's most expensive celebrities on prime-time endorsement, faking how they buy tomatoes for the home. Like really? It is 2025 and would you still buy a celebrity-endorsed product that just adds to your costs and Investor's money?
And there are open yet hidden fees. While you thought you were getting a "free" delivery over a certain amount, you find yourself slapped with “handling charges,” “surge pricing,” "small basket price", "weight change" and “delivery bag fees” on top, sometimes mutually inclusive and cumulatively exclusive.
The funniest one I recall is an app promising to pay free rs 10 dhaniya [corriander] on the purchase of vegetables/fruits above Rs 300, even though the cart value was above Rs1000.
Also, with these platforms running on fast delivery models, you might impulsively order things you don’t need, just because they promise instant gratification. In the rush of getting things delivered, you might forget to compare prices across different platforms or fail to notice the small changes in product weights or quantities, making you feel a little foolish for not being more cautious.
Employment Boom and the CATCH
Q-Commerce has created thousands of jobs, particularly in delivery and logistics, with companies like Blinkit, Zomato, and BigBasket meeting growing demand. For many, these roles offer vital income in a fast-paced, uncertain economy, providing part-time, supplemental, or full-time work.
However, the reality for many workers is far from ideal. Despite the increase in employment, gig workers often face low pay, lack of benefits or employee protection, long working hours to break even, poor working conditions, and little job security, with limited support from the companies they serve. The worst I saw recently was when Zomato/Swiggy made their delivery person wear Santa clothes. While the Internet was debating on the religious fabric of the country, I felt the cheap fabric of that dress was more embarrassing besides the point that when did Santa start delivering foods on a billing basis?
And on the other side, attrition rates are high.
The companies may be booming, but sometimes the workers keeping the wheels in action are often left behind, struggling to balance work and well-being while being treated as disposable. But that's true with most of the salaried class, even blue-collar employees in the Private sector where leaders want them to do free overtime including officially declared holidays.
"In the world of Q-commerce, you are either the smart buyer or a couch potato"- Numerounity
India’s Q-commerce thrives due to its low-cost labour, large consumer base including consumers who are willing to pay for convenience/upward mobility, and increasing urbanization, mobile and internet penetration. With abundant infrastructure, technology, and a vast population, India has all the pillars for this sector’s growth.
Is Quick Commerce Killing Kirana Stores?
No way, they might sink their teeth in the margins/market share but given the large network of Kirana stores [approx 15mn establishments], there is a stronghold. The same concerns were raised when Walmart entered India and also when Modern Trade mushroomed in even Non-Metros. Despite this, Kirana stores have survived, albeit with reduced margins. In fact, giants like Walmart have to retreat, letting go of its partnership with Sunil Mittal's Bharti Enterprise, subsequently acquiring a 77% stake in Flipkart to operate the cash-and-carry business [Best Price].
If Q-Commerce cos start offering local products sourced from nearby vendors—like ₹40 Idli batter as compared to their ₹100 branded options like ID—they could gain an additional edge. It is akin to the "homemade" option in Zomato, giving a platform to Home chefs/ cloud kitchens. This would leverage the local sourcing advantage that Kiranas naturally have.
India is 4th largest retail market in the world, and opportunities are ample, especially in B and C cities and metros. This is why leading international retailers, big Indian conglomerates, and entrepreneurs are eager to invest. Success will depend on value, convenience, and consumer awareness. While Kiranas largely sell goods at MRP, Q-commerce offers small discounts, sales, and variety, making it worth the extra delivery charge, including surge fees for urgent orders. Ultimately, it’s about value addition. If need be, Kiranas and modern trade can collaborate and evolve by becoming dark stores to enable faster delivery and leveraging capital investments.
My Current Top Picks would be Milk Basket, Big Basket, and Blinkit
In this fast-evolving, highly competitive world, Q-commerce is proving that “Speed is the new currency and Customer is the king.” And like consumers and the workforce, they also dabble with challenges and their own inner demons. While dark stores and delivery apps race to the future, one thing’s clear—“the last mile may be short, but it’s always the longest journey to success.”
Sit back and enjoy reading Numerounity blogs. craving for something to eat? Well, you just know where to order from. 😊
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